Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Let the Sunshine In Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 22, 2019

Claire Denis' "Let the Sunshine In" (2017) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon/Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an official trailer for the film and exclusive video interview with the director. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

I don’t understand the attraction. What type of emotional void can a woman fill in with a married man who openly tells her that she can’t possibly be part of his future? Also, the man is so cynical that he is exactly the type of walking embarrassment any woman should try to avoid. At least initially, however, Isabelle (Juliette Binoche), a lonely Parisian artist, keeps coming back to her ‘lover’. He takes her out for drinks, has sex with her, and then discards her as soon as he is ready to resume his ‘normal’ relationship with his wife.

The younger guy that Isabelle attempts to date is equally problematic. He is an actor and also married, but on the verge of leaving his wife because the two have somehow used up everything that once made their relationship worth preserving. It is over, he tells Isabelle, and he is definitely going to part ways with his wife. Definitely. He knows it. It is just that he hasn’t found the right time to tell his clueless wife yet. Isabelle likes him, but she can’t name what makes him special. However, she can instantly identify everything that he does that annoys her.

A third lover who for years has played a role in Isabelle’s life also appears out of nowhere and immediately convinces her to go to bed with him. But then he does something repulsive that makes her realize that he is trying to perform, not make love to her. It is one of the strangest scenes in the entire film because it is so, so obvious that for a long time the man has been a performer. The words that he utters instantly reveal his game. When Isabelle asks him to give back the keys to her apartment that he has had for years, he is the one that looks visibly upset that their relationship is over. How can you blame him? He was getting exactly what he wanted -- even when he was married to her.

The next man in line does have something in common with Isabelle -- he is also a loner and desperately looking for someone, or something, to restore balance in his life. But for him love is just a nuance, something that eventually he would be able to figure out, and maybe even learn to effortlessly tolerate. Does Isabelle have the patience to understand what he needs?

The rest of Claire Denis’ film rehashes the same cycle. The faces change, but at the end Isabelle is still miserable and unable to comprehend why she keeps failing her expectations with men that do not understand love like she does. Even the sex becomes frustrating and she begins ignoring opportunities that in the past she would have enthusiastically pursued. She is so miserable that it is actually painful to watch.

But it is very, very difficult to feel bad about Isabelle, and I did not. Why would I? Here is a very intelligent and attractive woman who persistently tries to start a meaningful relationship with men of different ages that do not have an available spot for her in their lives. They tell her so, in her face. But instead of changing her strategy Isabelle only changes the faces of the players that keep bringing more of the same -- misery and drama. Is it really so difficult to walk away and start from scratch?

Denis has done some hugely impressive work in the past, but Let the Sunshine In is clearly a misfire. Binoche is left alone to struggle with an odd character that is simply unwilling to put her life in order again, and after a while it becomes a bore to watch her contemplate her disappointing choices. The long conversations where the obvious, and very simple, reasons for her misery are being explained quickly become unbearably pretentious as well. It is not that complicated to see the big picture, and the longer the film argues the exact opposite, the more superficial it becomes.

Let the Sunshine In Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.60:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Claire Denis' Let the Sunshine In arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon/Artificial Eye.

The one and only minor criticism that I have pertains to the gamma balance, as it appears that the disc actually elevates it a bit, but during normal playback the effect is incredibly difficult to spot. The rest looks terrific. Details and clarity are exceptional, as they should be on a recent production, while fluidity is simply fantastic. On a big screen the transfer also boasts some rather striking density, though this should not be surprising either. Colors are very natural and wonderfully balanced. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Let the Sunshine In Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the 5.1 track and I did not detect any technical imperfections to report in our review. My guess is that the film has a fully digital soundtrack, so the lossless track likely reproduces its native studio qualities. The dialog is always crisp, stable, and easy to follow.

Let the Sunshine In Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original international trailer for Let the Sunshine In. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Interview - in this video interview, director Claire Denis explains howLet the Sunshine In came to exist, and highlights some of its key themes. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080/50i).

Let the Sunshine In Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

When the final credits of Claire Denis' new film appeared, I felt that I had missed something crucial. Why was Isabelle with these men in the first place? The banker, in particular, is the classic version of a man that gives all other men a bad name. This is the type of person that you wish to have as a partner and start a new life? I am sorry, I don't buy it. And the long discussions that supposedly explain Isabelle's strange choices are completely unconvincing and superficial. I enjoy and own many of the films that Denis and Juliette Binoche have made throughout their careers, but Let the Sunshine In is a huge disappointment. SKIP IT.